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It wasn't a day's shopping in Glasgow if you didn't go to What Everys. Customers regularly had to queue on the pavement to get in, such was the demand for affordable fashion.

Here are 13 other things you'll only know if you shopped at What Every Woman Wants.

1. Provy cheques

It was mortifying if you went into a shop that didn't accept Provident cheques as currency - so What Everys had it made as one of only a handful of shops in town that accepted payment this way. Heavy embarrassing - especially when your mum pulled out a bunch of cheques with pennies left on each one in an attempt to pay for your school jumper.

2. It's not what everyone wants

Mums across the city and beyond would make a pilgrimage to What Everys to buy bundles of clothes for their kids. But many a savvy 10 year old would insist she cut the labels out of them once home. They'd rather go naked than be caught wearing something from Wa Waas.

3. The clothes were not built to last

The sight of an angry customer with a sole-less shoe shouting "here hen, this isnae what everybody wants" was a common one inside the store. While the clothes were cheap and cheerful, the downside of that was that they rarely lasted more than a few washes before falling apart.

4. The two 'big shops' of the year

Shopping for clothes and accessories may be a weekly occurrence for some in the 21st century. But back when choice was as limited as people's funds, buying new items for your wardrobe was a once-in-a-while treat. Prudent mums would plan two "big shops" during the year - one just before school starts and the other at Christmas. Many a child would be dragged round What Everys at these busy times while bargains were sought and jumpers that were to last out the school year were bought.

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5. The purple What Everys poke

The famous purple bag

Ah, the famous bag. In the days before it cost 5p a pop, What Everys handed out placcy bags like they were going out of fashion. However, while it was a popular sight around the town, carrying a purple What Everys bag was far from a sartorial statement. In fact, some loathed the purple poke so much they would come prepared with a Jenners bag or similar to put the WEWW bag into once you were safely out of the shop.

6. It's where you went for a 'going out top'

It was FriYay all the way in the 70s and 80s. When you got your Friday pay packet you made a beeline for Argyle Street to buy a 'wee skirt' or a 'sparkly top' in preparation for a night at the dancin' (probably Clouds where Tiger Tim would most likely be DJing). In What Everys you could get a full outfit, including shoes and bag, and still get change from a fiver.

7. You had to rake and rummage

We're used to huge stores with mountains of stock, but What Everys pioneered the pile 'em high, flog 'em cheap retail strategy. Sometimes you had to pick the clothes up from the floor or scour through jumbles of clothes in brown boxes to find your size. But, while it was sometimes a challenge to get through rails and rails of fashionable duds, one thing was guaranteed - you always got a bargain.

8. It had all the latest fashion

These were the days when it was perfectly acceptable to wear a beige corduroy waistcoat or to make pink denim dungarees a wardrobe staple. From red polyester pussycat bow blouses to yellow polka dot puffball skirts, What Everys had the latest styles as seen in all the top magazines. Much like Primark, it was a cut price imitation of high fashion - but if you were looking for tartan jeans or neon socks, What Everys would not disappoint.

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9. If you worked there ...

... You'd have plenty of tales to tell - some great, some downright awful. The ruthless approach to sales was reflected in the way that staff were trained, with some unusual practices designed to maximise profit. Sales assistants would form a queue and take their turn to pounce on customers as they came in the door. Once a successful transaction was complete you'd take your place at the back of the queue ready to start again. Many staff worked on commission and some would get perks such as a free hairdo for hitting targets.

10. The human advert

An advert that talks? Genius. No complex marketing campaigns for What Everys. Their main advertising medium was a downtrodden-looking man with a sandwich board strapped over his shoulders as he traipsed up and down Argyle Street to point shoppers in the right direction. Over the years the marketing got more sophisticated though, with a famous series of TV ads that had a catchy version of Status Quo's hit Whatever You Want as the theme tune.

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11. The January sales

Scenes of pandemonium would erupt every January as the post-Christmas sales started and everything in What Everys got even cheaper. Whole families would make the journey into town to hit the sales and take advantage of the 'everything must go' discounts. Whether it was a new pair of slippers or bottle of aftershave, you could get stocked up for the year ahead for mere pennies.

12. The store detectives

Naturally a busy store with mountains of stock was a shoplifter's heaven, and What Everys had an army of security guards on site to catch would-be thieves in the act. Many a shifty teenager would find themselves collared by a burly, but weary, store detective as they were caught trying to make off with a jazzy tie or a pair of earrings for their burd.

13. It had lots of different names

One of the last traces of What Every's on Argyle Street

Over the years there were various name changes and additions to the What Everys brand. From the original What Every Woman Wants there were several variations spawned, including What Every Kid Wants. Then of course there was the sister shop, Goldbergs, and a later attempt at a more upmarket store called Weisfelds. But it was the punters own names for the shops that are etched on people's memories - from What Everys to Whatties, Wa Waas and WEWW. They even used to call it The Boutique in Coatbridge.